The applicant has previously been granted three patents for apparatus employed in tire inspection and repair or reconditioning. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,273 granted Nov. 24, 1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,773 granted Oct. 2, 1996 employ tire support structures which are lowered for loading and elevated to a working position. The tire support structure in patent No. 5,460,036 is positioned at a fixed height and rotatable to facilitate inspecting the tire.
In truck tire repair and retread facilities, because of the bulk and weight of the tires, they often are carried on J-hooks suspended from an overhead mono-rail system. Rollers on dollies within the mono-rail and connected to the J-hooks permit the tires to be pushed or pulled with relative ease through the facility.
The inspection apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned patents can be used in a mono-rail transport facility, but lifting heavy tires off and onto the elevated J-hooks is a real chore for the operator-inspector.